The butterfly effect: the true explanation, and connection between today and where an individual ends up in a week, month, or year. In other words, the butterfly effect is a sequence of actions that have a much larger effect in the future. At times it can be hard to correlate an action in one’s past to an event occurring in the present.
The butterfly effect occurs in everyone’s life in different times and situations. It is incredibly important to acknowledge that the butterfly effect exists so that we don’t brush over the small choices we make on a daily basis. If people can truly grasp the meaning and importance of the butterfly effect, it will help them be more present in the moment and more aware of their decisions.
Teenagers are constantly reminded of their futures and surrounded by different actions and choices that may best set them up for success. This pressure surrounding teenagers’ futures can typically cause them to focus on bigger goals and factors such as their school work, sports activities, and extracurriculars. Consequently, this results in them neglecting their daily decisions because they believe that they have bigger, more important goals to focus on. What many teenagers don’t realize is that the little things can have a large impact on their future as well.
Teenagers’ attitudes and daily choices have impacts not only on themselves but the people surrounding them as well. For example, a large part of success derives from attitude. Developing relationships that will benefit you personally is dependent on whether or not you display an attitude that others enjoy and want to be around. One may have the criteria to make a great businessman or woman because they graduated from a prestigious college. However, if people don’t want to work with them or enjoy their presence it will ultimately serve as a major roadblock when trying to be successful in the business world.
The choice of whether or not to converse with a stranger as you wait in line could impact your future just as much or even more than getting a good grade on a paper or making varsity for a sports team. Learning the importance of small decisions and actions and how connected the world really is, will hopefully allow teenagers to be more present in the moment and stress less about the distant future.